Rotary operative fastener installation and fastener for the same



Feb. 25, 1936.` R, o, jl-mFF-EE:v 2,032,315

ROTARY OPERATIVE FASTENER INSTALLATION ANDFASTENER FOR THE SAME Filed June 15, 1935 f4- (ng/ L- lll/l//l/llll Batymoafzdaa ee, y

Patented Feb. 25, 1936 UNITED STATES ROTARY OPERATIVE FASTENER INSTALLA- TION AND FASTENER. FOR THE SAME Raymond O. Chaffee, Belmont, Mass., assignor to United-Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 13, 1933, serial No. 675,586 s claims. (glass-s) My invention aims to provide improvements in fastener secured installations and fasteners of the rotary operative type.

In the drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention Figure 1 is a plan view, partly in section, of a portion of an installation showing the manner of securing a hollow molding in position by my improved fastening members;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the fastener in locking position;

Fig. 3 is a section similar to that shown in Fig. 2, but showing the fastener before being turned to locking position;

Fig. 411s a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig.

2 to show the angle of the end of the hook in relation to the other parts;

Fig. 5 is an under side plan view of the fastener member; and

Fig. 6 is an end view of the fastener member shown in the other figures.

My invention, as illustrated by the drawing, is particularly, though not exclusively, adapted for use in attaching moldings and the like to a sheet metal structure and includes a simple efiicient one-piece sheet metal fastener for accomplishing the desired result, It should be understood that the fastening member is complete in and of itself and may be used to secure together two or more relatively thin apertured members without the use y of additional screws or the like.

Referring to the specific embodiment of my invention illustrated by the drawing, I have shown a sheet metal fastener constructed from a single piece of metal and used to secure a hollow molding strip l to a thin sheet metal structure 2.

'I'he fastening member is formed from a iiat strip of metal and comprises a body portion-3 and a pair of yieldable fingers 4 having hook-like 40 end portions 5. The fingers are narrowe than the body andextend inwardly toward each other from adjacent to opposite edges of the body portion 3 and then upwardly and outwardly away from the body portion, as best illustrated in Fig.

2. It should be noted that the hook portions of the fingers present straight surfaces crosswise for substantial engagement with the straight surfaces provided by the inner edges of the iianges A 1.-'1 of the molding I and also that the ends are inclined (Figs. 3 and 4) for the purposes hereinafter described. The fingers 4-4 are broughtv sufiicient distance to allow the fastener to be withdrawn when inlocked position.

The aperture 6 may be oblong (Fig. 1), or any other desirable shape, so long as it will permit the hook portions 5-5 to pass therethrough when 5 the fastener is in the position shown in Fig. 3.

Assuming that the parts desired to be secured together are as shown in the drawing, the fastener may be attached by entering the fingers through the aperture 6 and the space 8 between 10 the inner edges of the flanges 'l-1. Then the fa-stener may be rotated by the use of a toolsuch, for instance, as a screw driver (not shown) which ts into a tool-receiving slot l0 formed lengthwise of the body portion 3 of the fastener. Upon rota- 15 tion of the fastener from a position shown in Fig. 3 to a position shown in Fig'. 2 the sloping surfaces will engage the flanges very readily and then act .as cams to draw the parts together.v This'in effect gives a screw tightening action. During 20 the turning operation the hook portions must be forced toward each other to overcome the difference in the distance between the corners of the opposed hook portions and the distance between the edges of the flanges 'l-l so that the fastener may 25 be turned into a position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Thus there is provided a sort of a snap action so that when the fastener is turned to its ultimate locking position the straight faces of the hook portions will engage the straight faces of the inner edges of the flanges 'l-l. It will, of course, be understood by those skille'd in the art that such engagement, plus a certain amount of tension supplied by the formation of the curved fingers 35 beneaththe body portion, the abutment of the fingers and hook portions thereof, will securely hold the fastener in locking position so that it cannot .accidentally `be turned to the unlocking position or withdrawn by a straight pull. 40

It will be noted that I have shown the body portion 3 as being somewhat curved longitudinally and that the inwardly extending portions of the fingers 4 normally parallel the curvature of the body portion 3.* 'I'his construction permits 45 relative yielding of the fingers toward and away from the base portion. For instance, an observation of Fig. 2 will clearly show that the fingers 4 may yield both throughout their lengths and adjacent to their connections with the body 50 portion 3 to compensate for variations in thickness of the flange 1 andthe structure 2. With this construction I can manufacture my simple fastening devices for securing together two members of minimum thickness and use the same tion. As a result the members I and 2 are held l' tightly against one another so that theycannot shift without exerting considerable force on one part" or the other. Furthermore, there is a definite snap action which takes place during the rotation of the fastener relative to the parts to be secured together both in the locking and the unlocking movements so that the operator can know exactly when the fastener is in eitherlocked or unlocked position.

I am aware of the fact that I am not the inventor of the broad ideas disclosed, both as to the fastener andthe installation. However, I have made several improvements which are highly desirable and serve useful purposes so that my improved fastener and installation have decided advantages and produce results not heretofore produced by any device of which I am aware.

While-I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereby, because the scope of my invention is best denned by the following I- claims.

1. The combination, with a pair of relatively thin superposed apertured members of a rotary operating fastener member, said fastener member having a body portion located at one side of one of said apertured members, and yieldable nngers located beneath said body portion and securing said members together, said fingers extending toward each other from adjacent to an edge of said body portion inwardlyr beneath and spaced from it except where they join the body portion and then through the apertures in said apertured members in contact with each other and then outwardly from each other and engaging and overlying one member and being yieldable as a whole relative to the body portion and throughout their lengths to adjust the fastener member to various thicknesses of apertured members and the ends of said hook-like members being twisted to present angled surfaces extending generally transverse to the axis ot the apertures/through said superposed members toen- 1accesi 5 fastening members to secure together other memgage the last mentioned apertured member 'and clamp the apertured members tightly between said hook-like members and those portions of the yieldable fingers resting against the first mentioned apertured member.

2. A fastener member of the class described formed froma single piece of sheet metal and having a body portion and yieldable finger portions located beneath said body portion, said ilnger portions extending toward eachother from adjacent to opposite edges of said body portion inwardly beneath and spaced from it and into contact with each other and having their ends aring outwardly yfrom each other to provide hooks for securing two or more relatively thin parts together, said hook portions presenting relatively wide straight engaging surfaces crosswise thereof vfor interlocking engagement with cooperatingsurfaces of at least one of the parts to be secured together and also having their ends slightly twisted, and said finger portions being substantially narrower than the body portion, the contact of the finger portions serving to prevent the fends thereof from moving toward each` other a suicient distance to allow the fastener to be withdrawn when in locked position.

3. 'Ihe combination with a pair of relatively thin superposed apertured members of a rotartr operating sheet metal fastener member, said fasadjacent to an edge of said body portion inwardlybeneath and spaced from it vexcept where they join the body portion, and then through the apertures in said apertured members and being face to face in contact with each other and then extending outwardly from each other to form hook-like portions engaging and overlying one of said apertured members the intermediate bent portions of said opposed ngers being in contact withveach other to prevent the ends thereof from moving toward each other a sufficient distance to allow the fastener to be withdrawn when in locked position, said nger members together with said hook-like portions being yieldable as a whole relative to the body portion and throughout their lengths to adjust the fastener member to various thicknesses of apertured members.

RAYMOND O. CHAFFEE. 

